The US Senate has passed the Travel Promotion Act to set up a non-profit Corporation for Travel Promotion.

US President, Barak Obama, is set to sign the act this week, meaning it will become law within ten days.

Under the act, travellers from countries that do not require a visa to enter the US, including the UK, will have to pay to complete the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before travelling.

The charge will be at least $10, but could be as much as $17 per person.

The authorisation will be valid for two years, or for the length of the applicant's passport, whichever is sooner.

After that, each visitor will need to repay the fee.

The money will go into a Travel Promotion Fund. A further $100m will come from private sector contributions.

Roger Dow, president and chief executive of the US Travel Association, said the new body could become the largest national tourism communications programme in the world.